“In Truth there is justice and in justice there is the truth”
ow that the Oyo State Electoral Tribunal has spoken, it is right to conclude that justice and fairness has been made to all parties.
The pendulum of justice had swung left and right for over eight months, but it eventually landed safely when it declared the election that brought Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala to office as fair and peaceful.
What the Tribunal said in clear terms is that a man who won through the ballot box can not be thrown out on the basis of malicious evidences from the witness box. (As the court pleases)
While applauding the decision of the Tribunal, no time is more auspicious than now, to appease the opponents that peace must be allowed to reign supreme in the overriding interest of the people of Oyo State .
As far as we are concerned, there is no victor no vanquished; nobody is a loser, we all won. Having said this, Governor Akala deserved to be congratulated by all and sundry for many reasons.
Here is a man prejudged to be inconsequential in the political arithmetic of Oyo State , but who, by mother luck and God’s design has now taken the centre stage of significance.
To describe him as the most disparaged and vilified governor in Nigeria since his adventure into politics is saying the obvious. It is as if some people had sworn to an oath that he, Alao-Akala must not rise in life.
The battle is from all angles; left, right and centre. The prepared script of the opponents kept changing to such a ridiculous extent that absolute lies were added to fabricated stories just to paint the Governor in black colour.
No two scenes are the same; yesterday’s news analysis on Akala will be different from tomorrow’s news update. His wife, sons and daughters were not spared. Any news bulletin on Governor Akala is made to look like a real bullet that must give cause for concern.
Much as we his aides tried to reduce the nightmare of opponent’s antics to the level of a bad dream, the reality strikes us in the face that politics is about lies which when told severally against an opponent becomes the truth in the eyes of the electorate.
Rather than join them in the game of dirty politics, what we, in unison, decided to do is to arm ourselves with the pin of truth and on every occasion, detonate the balloon of lies of opponents with facts and figures. In this, we have never been found wanting because the man we are working with, a retired senior police officer, is disciplined and methodical.
How Governor Akala has remained stout and solid like the rock of Gibraltar despite all this noise and unwarranted criticisms about his person and government must be a subject for psychologist to research into. This obviously is another confirmation that one with God is a majority.
I had followed with keen interest the many battles waged against him by some antagonists and have not stopped wondering how God works. Governor Akala’s victory is a confirmation that whatever God has destined can never be changed. It is therefore logical to say that Governor Akala is a man of providence, fate and destiny.
I have said it before that Governor Akala’s success at the poll is God’s venture; it can never be an abandoned project. Therefore, challenging his victory, as earlier stated in my previous comments before now was like querying God, those who made attempts at disputing God’s authority often lose their voice in unison.
Religiously, Governor Akala’s victory should be interpreted as God’s way of saying yes when some opponents said no, which in a way should have calmed down frayed nerves when he won the April 14, 2007 election.
The good people of Oyo State had spoken with their votes; they desired a break from the grip of some sectional dealers who claim to be “elders” and wish for a genuine leader. Their search produced Otunba Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala from Ogbomosho and so shall it remain as confirmed and authenticated by the Tribunal until 2011 by the special grace of God.
I personally detest any attempt to run down a man for emerging victorious in an election on the excuse that his place of origin is outside the state capital. I dislike intensely, when people put up the toga of if not “us” it should not be somebody else and in effect deliberately set out to malign their perceived opponent. I honestly feel that attacking a governor over his town of origin or how he was retired in his chosen career is too cheap and has become old fashioned for any serious minded person to take as an avenue to win people’s confidence.
Now that Governor Akala is the wish of the people of Oyo State , as established by the Tribunal, please let him be.
Politics to me is a game where it is definite that there must be some losers for a winner to emerge. I never believed politics is a do or die affair it just must never be a game of desperation.
Governor Akala is a man of God, he has no choice now than to continue to serve God by serving humanity.
All ears and eyes in Nigeria and from across the oceans are on him. He will NOT fumble nor misbehave. From all of us his aides, we will continue to offer useful advice to justify the confidence he, Alao-Akala reposes in us. We will, above all, be dutiful and loyal to his vision and mission for the people of Oyo State .
Governor Akala deserves to be given a chance to prove his messianic call, he has told us he heard the voice of God to go and serve the people of Oyo State , if we can, let us fast and pray for him. Let us call upon God or Allah for His success and genuinely wish him the best. If not, let him not be condemned; blackmail and witch-hunting will do nobody any good or else we will be enemies of progress.
A man whose era was dogged by violence, brutality, civil strikes and total anarchy could not be rated above the one that restored peace and hope, wiped off tears from the faces of the oppressed and above all restored injustices of the past.
I want to vouch that Governor Akala will not fail, he will succeed. It is our task as his aides to remind him that Nigerians are watching his moves through which all of us will be judged.
In any case, there are lots of lessons for him to learn from. The people shouting “crucify him” today had screamed “hosanna” yesterday; politics is about ploy and tricks while many politicians are AGIP (Any Government In Power)
The people of Oyo state by now must have noticed the difference between a man ruling with human feelings and fear of God and another that ruled as if tomorrow will never come. One is a leader the other is a dealer and by their actions we have known them.
On a final note, and this message is for all political leaders in Nigeria, it takes the praises of sycophants for a good leader to derail, while it takes inner wisdom, self-examination and self-determination including prayer for a wiser person to succeed. Governor Akala is thoroughly brought up in the parlance of elders, he is wise.
He will embark on full reconciliation and total reunion of politicians in Oyo State as a means of setting good pace for other Stats to follow
God bless Oyo State.
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